A Warrior's Call
by gt-direction
Summary: Picking up right after the end of 8x23, this is my take on what I believe should happen in Season 9 involving some tension between the Winchesters and their angel-friend Castiel, some drama in Heaven, and a bunch of other supernatural fun.


The name of this story (A Warrior's Call) is named after the song of the same name by the band Volbeat. All credit for the song and title go to them. I simply thought the idea behind the lyrics and the title went with this story.

It's taken me a while to think of the name for this story, and I just can't think of what song title would fit it best. It's been driving me nuts for days. I had a list of six songs that I couldn't choose from, and now I think I've finally gotten the one that I want to use. I hope so at least, because I can't just change the name of a story. That's weird.

For now, this story shall be at the T rating. If the rating should change at any time, I will make not of it in the chapter before it changes and the chapter it changes in.

I would like to thank you for stopping by to read this. All thoughts are appreciated.

I will try to have updates up at least once a week. I make no promises as my schedule gets busier, but I will try to pace them apart evenly.

Another note I would like to make is that I do not have a beta. All mistakes are my own. I apologize ahead of time for any grammatical or spelling errors.

Disclaimer: I in no way, shape, or form own Supernatural. All canon material and characters belong to its respective owners (namely Eric Kripke). All other creations are of my own design.

Chapter Tracks:  
Fly On The Wall – Thousand Foot Krutch  
I'll Follow You – Shinedown

* * *

Chapter One

Castiel didn't know how one was supposed to feel about being cast out of Heaven. It took a lot of strength to withstand the pain of having wings torn out of your back, but the angel (or former angel more rather) didn't know what hurt more: the wings being ripped from his spine or the grace stolen from his being. Angels were made up of grace. It was basically the angel version of a human's soul. Without grace, an angel was nothing.

Or at least that's how Castiel felt.

His entire being ached from the top of his head to the tips of his fingers, dirt caked under each clipped down nail.

Castiel had never been without his grace before. Even in Hell when he was sent to retrieve Dean Winchester, Castiel still had some sort of ghost presence of his grace. Not having grace made him feel… empty. It made him feel like he had lost something so precious to him that his entire body began to shut down.

If he knew more about human emotions, Castiel could have compared it to heartbreak, but being a warrior of God doesn't really allow a lot of time for any type camaraderie that could measure up to a human relationship.

The only things Castiel knew about human emotions were taught to him by either Dean, or his charge's brother Sam. He knew that personal space was something Dean found necessary and that watching someone for a long time without blinking can be considered odd. Maybe even abnormal.

What Castiel didn't know about humans that would have proven important at that very moment would be how to get somewhere without the power in his fingertips.

He could feel that his powers were gone, he could feel just the barest of remnants of his grace lingering inside of him, and he could feel fear. He felt the fear of not knowing what to do or where to go. He was alone and had no idea where he was. It was terrifying.

He knew that he was going to have to talk with Dean about this once he found him.

Dean was probably still upset with him. Castiel was almost sure of that. He wasn't able to save either of the brothers and was thrown out of Heaven after being deceived by Metatron. He should have seen it sooner, Castiel knew that. He should have been able to tell that Metatron was using him for something that would ruin the entirety of Heaven.

Castiel was angry too, but it wasn't at Dean. He was angry with his Father. He simply disappeared and let Heaven be taken over and destroyed. His precious kingdom was torn apart and he didn't even show up to help.

Yes. Castiel was angry. He was fuming, he was furious.

And he was cold.

Never really having to worry about body temperature before, it was weird to experience such a human feeling. His hands were cold, and he knew it was dark because he could barely see.

He would open his eyes more but that wouldn't do anything but frustrate him further.

Castiel picked himself off the ground and shook the dirt from the tan trench coat, hoping that it didn't rip. He needed the warmth. He buttoned it up and glanced around, trying to take in some of the surroundings. It was night, so it was hard, but he could vaguely see the trees around him. It was getting easier as his eyes slowly adjusted, but not by much.

He figured it would be easier to find Dean and Sam if he at least knew where they were. He could guess the bunker, but he could never be too sure. It was the first place he would go to search for them. He just hoped they were there.

Being human was lonely.

Walking up the incline towards the noise he assumed was traffic was a horrible experience. Castiel had never wanted any kind of contact with another being before now, except maybe with Dean, but here he was craving some kind of physical connection. His body was shaking slightly from the cold and his mind kept telling him he wanted a hug.

He had so much pent up frustration meandering inside of him, he was worried that he would explode (or possibly implode) at the first person he saw.

Castiel knew what being useless felt like, and, without his grace, he felt like he was no good to anyone. He couldn't aid Dean or Sam like this; not without his grace.

Once he hit the flat ground above, Castiel glanced around the highway, trying to decide which way to go. He could always wait for a car to pick him up, but Castiel didn't trust easily, and that seemed like an awful lot of trust to put into a stranger. He ultimately decided on left and started walking along the road, every once in a while glancing to the sky.

He wondered if Heaven was entirely ruined. He knew that Naomi was dead and Metatron was most likely running the show up there. He wasn't even sure how long he had been down on Earth in this human form, but with all the falling star-like angels in the sky still crashing down, he couldn't imagine it had been for long.

Castiel shoved his hands into his pockets and continued to walk down the night-deserted road. He might have kicked a few rocks but not on purpose.

He needed to find a phone as soon as possible.

He needed to find Dean.

~.0.~

Dean struggled as he pulled Sam down with him into the bunker. It would have been easier if he had Cas with him, but he had no idea where the angel was and at the moment, he really didn't care. His brother was in such immense pain that Dean didn't care about anything else.

Once they hit the flat ground down under, Dean heaved Sam over his shoulder and staggered towards his bedroom. He needed to lay Sam down and even if it was going to get blood all over his comforter, the best place to do that was on his bed.

Sam's body hit the mattress with a thud and the younger brother winced, causing Dean to wince as well. He knew Sam was in pain, and he was trying to ease it as much as he could, but it was proving to be a difficult task. Sam's skin was paler than Dean remembered it being, and he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks – maybe even months. His hair was gnarly and all over his face; he needed a good shower.

Maybe once his body healed Dean could convince him to let him help and get him clean.

With Sam passed out on his bed and ibuprofen running through his system, Dean let himself slump down into one of the chairs in the library. He could have started to look for something that would help him and Sam, but he was too exhausted to really think of anything other than his brother in the other room. Sam could have died, and there was no way that Dean was letting his little brother be the ultimate sacrifice for Naomi and her god-less Heaven.

He was a little worried about Cas, but he kept pushing that feeling away. Cas wasn't there when Dean needed him, and he was angry. He had left him and Sam, and then this happened. Sam was almost killed and Castiel was no where to be found. It was irritating.

Dean thought about sleeping, and he knew that he needed to, but the question of when Sam would wake up was what bothered him. He wanted to be there and ready to help Sam when he came to.

So Dean sat in the library chair and twiddled his thumbs.

After awhile, his cell phone rang out. He wasn't expecting a call, so he was a little confused, but he checked the phone anyway. He didn't recognize the number, and, after an internal debate of whether or not to answer the ring, he hit the green button on the keys and pressed it to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked. He didn't know who was calling him, but figured if they were it was either an accident or for a very good reason.

"_Dean."_

Dean sat up in his chair at the sound of his name from a familiar voice. He situated himself again in the seat and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he glanced sideways towards the phone in his hand. "Cas," he said.

"_Dean,_" Castiel said again. "_I'm in Georgia._" There was a brief pause and muffling of words on the other side of the line. "_LaFayette, Georgia. And I'm human. Are you at the bunker?_"

Dean swallowed. He couldn't imagine what the people around Castiel were thinking; especially whoever let the other man borrow their phone. "You're human?" he asked, his tone shaky. He knew Castiel had been human at least once before, so he knew how it felt. Dean leaned back in the chair and ran on hand over his face as the other held the phone to his ear.

"_Yes. Or at least I believe so. My grace is gone. I was thrown out of Heaven._"

Dean took a deep breath and glanced towards the doorway to the bedroom over his shoulder and then sat straight again, thinking everything over. Cas was thrown out of Heaven and he was human. Castiel was a human and entirely without grace. He must have been terrified, considering he actually remembered being an angel unlike before.

"Do you know – Can you ask someone how long it would take you to get to Kansas?" He struggled with words, not knowing how to feel about the situation. He was angry with Castiel because he left him and Sam which almost lead to Sam dying, but Cas himself was going through things as well. He know it sounded selfish, maybe even asinine, but maybe if Castiel wasn't up in Heaven when he was Sam would have made it out in better condition and Castiel would still have all of his little angelic powers.

Dean heard some shuffling on the other side of the line and voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Cas came back on the line. "_One tells me a day. I feel like 24 hours is a long travel time for a short distance such as this. I think he might be wrong._" And with that, the shuffling had begun again and before Dean had a chance to talk, Castiel was back. "_Never mind that, Dean. By a day he means daylight. I'm guessing approximately 15 hours, give or take._" Castiel paused, but there was no shuffling. "_How should I get there, Dean?_"

Dean cast a glance back towards the bedroom and then sat forward again, and started looking around the library. "Sam's in pretty bad shape right now so I don't want to leave him. If you can find someone to get you out here, I bet you don't have any money on you, I can pay them when you get here. Or hitch hike. Get rides in semis. Whatever you want."

If Castiel acknowledge what Dean was saying right away, he didn't say it. Maybe a nod was given even though Dean couldn't see. After a moment, Castiel spoke up. "_I'm sorry, Dean. I should have been there for you. I'm sorry._"

Dean leaned forward and pressed his free hand to his face again. "Just get here as soon as you can, Cas. You know the place right? If you don't, I can pick you up somewhere. Just find a payphone and call when you can."

Dean heard Castiel start to talk, but before the angel could say anything, Dean hung up.

~.0.~

It had been a couple hours and Dean was pacing around the library willing Sam to wake up sooner than later. He had a glass of water ready to give to his brother as soon as he stirred from sleep, but with each passing minute of not waking up, the condensation out the outside of the glass just increased.

He hadn't heard anything from Cas so he figured the angel (or former angel, whatever he was now) was en route towards Lebanon. He knew it was rude of him to just hang up on Castiel so abruptly, but he wasn't in the mood for apologies. He just wanted Cas to get there as soon as he could so the two of them could put their heads together and work towards helping Sam.

Besides, Cas knew that Dean wasn't into all the touchy-feel stuff. If he hadn't forgotten Dean's phone number when he fell, he surely remembered that.

Dean knew that pacing along the bookshelves wasn't helping anyone, nonetheless him, but he couldn't help it. He was antsy. With Sam in the other room passed out and Castiel being without his powers, Dean was at an ultimate loss. Castiel had lost the one thing Dean knew could help Sam, and Cas was probably going through his own sort of grieving with his grace being gone.

He just wanted time to pass by faster, Sam to wake up, and Castiel to arrive.

~.0.~

After hitching his second ride on a semi, Castiel was getting more comfortable riding in the car with someone he didn't know. There wasn't much small talk unless the driver was the one who initiated it, and after the first couple of times he tried to talk to Castiel, the former angel figured he wouldn't try again.

They had exchanged names and destinations, but that was all Castiel had given the driver. He couldn't exactly tell him that he had to get to his human charge to help save his brother from poisonous demon blood, now could he. And it was better not to speak at all than to lie, so Castiel remained quiet.

He stared out the window and listened to the humming rock and roll in the background. He recognized the song from hearing it in the impala and then glanced towards the radio, staring at it intently.

"Do you like rock music? I can change it if you don't."

Castiel glanced towards the driver, whose name was Charlie, and then back to the radio. "Don't worry about changing it. I enjoy rock and roll. Do you know the title of this song?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Castiel saw the driver glance over towards him and then back to the road. "Uh, yeah. Hells Bells, AC/DC."

Castiel nodded in thanks and then went back to watching out the window. He felt the driver watching him, but knew internally that it was a prewired human cognition to feel as if one is being watched by someone. He swallowed audibly and watched the side of the road pass by as they drove down the highway.

He didn't like finding all of these similarities between humanity and himself. It was hard enough to realize that he wasn't an angel at the moment, but the frequent reminders that his mind presented to him were a tad annoying. He wanted to escape the feeling of complete helplessness that being human was.

It might not have been such a manner for a human to deal with, but after being something above the creature he now was Castiel felt emptier and more alone than he had felt in a long time. After having established a relationship with Dean, it was hard for him to feel alone. He knew Dean was out there and still alive, watching over Sam and hoping his brother would wake up soon, but Castiel wanted Dean to be worried about him. He wondered if he was worried, or maybe he was too furious with the former angel to care. Castiel hoped that Dean would forgive him once he arrived.

He still had the aching need to establish skin contact with a human being, but he wasn't about to pull the driver into a hug. He would have to wait until he saw Dean, maybe even Sam. Whichever Winchester he saw first would be fair game. He preferred it to be Dean, considering they had a stronger bond, but he wouldn't complain if Sam was closer. He'd probably need to comfort the brothers too. With all of this going on, they all probably needed a good hug.

A hug was probably too much of a chick-flick moment for Dean, but Castiel knew that underneath the hardcore exterior that his charge put up Dean was still a human and humans needed contact.

Humans also needed sleep.

Castiel was getting drowsy as he stared out the window. A couple times his face collided with the cold glass and he sat up startled, staring ahead.

"You can lean the seat back if you wanna rest," the driver told him. "There's a lever on the side that you can move to lay down."

Castiel glanced over and nodded towards the man in his thanks and pulled the lever up gently before he leaned back in the chair and allowed the back to lower down. He didn't really know how to fall asleep exactly, but after lying down in the chair staring up towards the roof of the car, he decided to close his eyes.

Sleep quickly took him.

~.0.~

Dean didn't know how many beers he had drank already, but he figured it was more than normal as he staggered from the kitchen for the millionth time and let his body sag into the same library chair as before. He'd rather lie in his bed and let the alcohol take over his system and lull him into a drunken sleep, but Sam was there and still out cold so he simply slumped in the chair and fumbled with his hands.

His thoughts were a little fuzzy with the help of each beer. He knew he was still angry with Castiel, but he wanted the other man to arrive sooner than later. He was tired of waiting.

Maybe it was just the alcohol thinking for him, but Dean missed his little angel friend. And even if Castiel wasn't exactly an angel anymore he wasn't planning on kicking him out.

Dean wished that the bunker got cable.

He leaned back in the chair and yawned, casting a glance over towards the bedroom door. He wished that Sam would wake up soon. He wanted to help, and, even though he knew he wouldn't be of help unless he was sober, he needed his brother.

For the past couple of weeks Dean had been missing his brother's laid back and impersonal attitude. Sam was different and drained with all the demon blood up and in his veins, and Dean didn't like it.

It was hard to imagine his brother as the same person when he acted like a completely different one.

Dean picked up the bottle of beer from the table in front of him and sipped idly as he leaned back into the chair.

The phone rang from inside his pocket, and, when he picked it out lazily and glanced at the caller ID, it was another number that he didn't recognize. Figuring that it was Castiel, Dean opened the phone and held it to his ear. "Hey, Cas," he said.

There was a moment of silence before the other line responded. "_Dean, I have stopped. The previous driver had to carry on a different way. I am waiting for someone to ride with now._"

Dean took another sip of the beer he subconsciously knew he shouldn't be drinking. "Where you at?" he asked, a slight slur to his voice.

"_On the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri. Is everything alright, Dean? You sound odd._"

Dean set the beer bottle back down and leaned forward before standing up. "Nothing's wrong," he said, and grabbed hold of the back of the chair as the blood rushed to his head.

Castiel didn't speak for a moment, and for that Dean was grateful. He needed to get himself together before he fell to the ground. "_I imagine I am halfway there as we speak. As soon as I make another stop-_"

"You'll call me, right," Dean said, cutting him off. "Sam hasn't woken up yet. I'm still waiting. Just get here, okay?"

Dean didn't hear a response for a few moments, so he sat down and figured Castiel was done talking.

He hung up.

~.0.~

Castiel stared at the phone in his hand before hanging it back up on the receiver and backing out of the phone booth. He was used to Dean hanging up on him, but the other still sounded a little off on the phone, even if he was just tired and lonely without his brother.

Castiel needed to find a way back to the bunker and fast.

After asking each trucker that walked in and out of the gas station his previous chauffer stopped at, Castiel finally found an older gentleman to give him a ride to Kansas City. He wasn't exactly sure how close Lebanon was to Kansas City, but with a map he could figure it out.

They exchanged names and destinations, just as Castiel did before, and the former angel relaxed back into the seat as they drove on.

When Will, the driver, asked why Castiel was headed towards Kansas, Castiel told him with blatant honesty that he had "To make up with a friend."

Castiel was glad when Will pushed further, because even though he didn't lie a half-truth was getting damn near close.

He just wanted to get there as soon as he could, and he knew that sleeping would make it seem faster, but he was tired of sleeping and annoyed with being around people that weren't Dean.

Humans were fascinating, and by all means they were one of God's greatest creations, but they talked too much. Castiel needed the solitude that he had before. The music in the background was nice because it drowned out the emptiness in his mind, but he didn't need the mindless banter.

He was used to hearing and sensing his brothers and sisters all the time, but talking just to talk wasn't something he was growing fond of.

Castiel watched out the window as they drove on, trying to remember exactly what went down with Metatron before he was cast out of Heaven.

He recalled him saying that Naomi was dead and that she was not lying, but after that it got cloudy. It could have been more than a week ago and Castiel was already having foggy glimpses of memories he couldn't fully comprehend.

He only vaguely remembered Heaven despite being there for years and years on end. It was weird, he had decided at last. There was nothing that made sense any more than Heaven did, and Castiel couldn't remember a single concrete thing about it.

His mind was all over the place, and without a real idea of what he was forgetting, it was hard to remember.

Even still, he stared out the window and watched the sky hitting the horizon at an odd northern angle.

Castiel didn't even know that he had fallen asleep until he heard his name in the background, just a little sound in the vast space of his mind.

"Castiel."

Opening his eyes, Castiel glanced over and looked towards the driver. The semi had stopped at a gas station, probably for a fill up. "Yes," he said, and then sat up straight in the seat. He fixed his tie.

"We're in Kansas City now. I'm still heading west if that's where you're headed." Will leaned back in his seat and pulled out a map from the above the sun visor, opening it up and pointing towards their location. "I think the place you're going, Lebanon, is over here," he added, and pointed towards where Route 36 hit Interstate 181.

Castiel leaned over and glanced at the map, trying to take in the sight. He had to blink his eyes a few times to see it clearly. "And you're headed this way. Where is the closest you can get me to this location?" Castiel leaned back and looked at Will, hoping for a good answer.

Will glanced over the map and flashed his eyes over the location, taking in the route. His eyes darted towards Castiel a couple of times, and Castiel continued to look at him. "I can probably just take you there. Drop you off in Lebanon, you know. It's only around a half hour off of my usual route and I can stand for a change of scenery." He looked up from the map and looked at Castiel. "Is that alright with you?"

Castiel didn't break the eye contact when Will looked at him dead on. Why would he? Maybe because he was a human, but that didn't take away from the way he was brought up. His grace may have been gone but somewhere tangled up with bones and blood was the heart of an angel still beating inside of him. He nodded. "That is alright. Do you know how long this next journey will take us?"

The driver looked back towards the map and shrugged, biting his teeth awkwardly. "I dunno, maybe four hours." He glanced over towards Castiel. "Why? Gotta time limit?"

Castiel continued to stare. "No. I can be there whenever I please, but the sooner the better. Dean needs me."

Will looked at him a little differently then and folded the map back up and put it away. "So are you one of them? Don't get me wrong, I don't care. It's just that lately all of you guys keep poppin' up out of nowhere. It's like there was a goddamn outbreak."

More confused than angry with the comment, except for the blasphemy of course, Castiel blinked and cocked his head to the side. "One of whom?"

"You know," Will said, and started up the semi again. The engine roared and Castiel glanced towards the front of the car and then back to Will. "One of them homosexuals. You guys are all over the place."

Confusion was the only emotion evident on Castiel's face. He was unsure of where Will would get such an idea, as he was an angel and thus had no sexuality. "I am not homosexual," he said plainly. "I am not attracted to humans sexually." He figured his explanation would be good enough for someone of Will's caliber, but the other man just looked at him with the same confused glance Castiel had moments before. "I am not interested in pursuing a sexual relationship with anyone," he explained, "let alone Dean. He is just a friend."

Will looked at Castiel in silence for a few seconds before turning back towards the road and shifting gears, pulling the semi out of the parking lot. "Sorry I misunderstood you," he said, and then looked back over towards Castiel. "So you really have no interest in having sex?"

Castiel glanced over out the side window and thought about it himself. Maybe sex was something that always alluded the angel-Castiel, but now that he was something maybe he wanted (or would want) to participate in such activities. But for now… "Not at the moment, no," Castiel said. He didn't look back towards Will. "I have never experienced interest. I don't know if I ever will."

Will shifted his glance over from the road to Castiel in the passenger seat. He looked confused and a little out of his field of normality.

He wondered what kind of person he picked up and how awkward the next couple of hours in the car would be.

~.0.~

After Dean hung up the phone from his call with Castiel, he closed it and tossed it across the floor. "I'm so sick of that guy," he muttered, and fumbled around on the table for the bottle beer. He needed another drink.

He just wished that Sam would wake up soon and that everything would go back to normal.

His phone lay across the room as he sipped lazily at the beer. It rang a few times, but he didn't answer.

Dean simply sat in the library chair and stared at the object as it vibrated across the floor, taking sip after sip of the alcohol that was causing him to act like this.

"I just want to watch some damn TV," Dean mumbled to himself, the traces of alcohol present in both his tone and breath.

He wanted Cas to get back, and he wanted Sam to wake up. He was tired of waiting for everyone else around him.

Dean passed out soon after he set the beer bottle back down on the table.

~.0.~

Castiel arrived at the bunker sooner than he imagined. He gave Will his thanks more than the driver thought necessary, and was headed down as soon as the semi pulled away from the lot.

He had never had to walk through a door before. Sure, he had time from time, but it was always a choice. He had never **not **had the option to choose to enter another way. Even so, he entered through the door and headed down only to see Dean passed out and head leaning back in a library chair, a bottle of alcohol sitting next to him.

Castiel cocked his head to the side, mildly confused. The reasoning behind Dean's change in voice and temper had been from a bottle of beer? He knew that the substances corrupted beings, but he wasn't sure on the extent.

He grabbed the bottle and headed to the kitchen, disposing of it in the sink. He would have thrown it away, but he wasn't sure of Dean's objective with his carbon footprint. Upon leaving, Castiel saw a mountain of other beer bottles sitting in the garbage can. Castiel cast a look back at the sink and then to the garbage. There were nine bottles in all, but that's all he could see from the top of the can. He wasn't about to search through the garbage to figure out how much Dean had drank.

Castiel heard stirring from across the bunker and left the kitchen, peering into the library. Dean was up and looking around, probably in search of the bottle Castiel had placed into the sink.

He walked towards him and saw Dean looked up towards him. The older Winchester opened his mouth to speak, but another noise rose up from the other side of the building.

A scream.

Or more precisely, a Sam scream.

Dean looked back towards Castiel and the former angel jolted his head in Dean's direction.

"Later," the hunter said, and then began to walk towards the bedroom. "For now, we gotta help Sammy."

* * *

Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I will have the next update posted sometime next week around this time. Reviews are welcomed.


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